Maybe Next Year
by BeneathTheUmbrella
Summary: Tracy comforts Ted after the Cleveland Cavaliers fail to bring home the NBA Championship Trophy.


_So I started writing this last night as I was watched Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The Cavs were playing pretty sloppily in the first quarter, and I thought it wasn't looking good for the team. And, of course, my thoughts went straight to Ted. (Isn't that always the way?) And when I woke up this morning and found out they indeed lost, I decided to complete this story quickly. Enjoy!_

* * *

It was the sounds of sniffling that pulled Tracy from her slumber.

Her eyes fluttered open, straining in the darkness to make out Ted's form as he moved towards the bed.

"Pooh bear?" she asked sleepily, slightly disoriented.

He sniffed again. "Yeah..."

Tracy was a bit more alert now, and tried to remember the events from earlier in the evening. She and Ted had been watching the NBA finals, but Tracy had gone to bed at the start of the second quarter. It had been a long day and Penny had been particularly fussy so, in favor of sleep, she left Ted behind in the living room, wearing his Cavs jersey, his eyes glued to the television screen.

Now, as she watched Ted's figure angrily peel of his shirt, Tracy deduced the outcome.

"Oh, honey," she whispered, sitting up in bed. "I'm so sorry."

He just sighed, removing his jeans and then crawling into bed next to her. "It's fine. It's _fine_."

Tracy tried to hold back her laugh. She knew he was disappointed, knew he took basketball—particularly his beloved Cavs—very seriously. But she didn't judge. After all, he was good about comforting her whenever a favorite TV character would get killed off, which was a way more frequent occurrence than Tracy would have liked.

Anyway, Ted was just so adorable when he was pouty.

"You sure it's fine?"

That got him riled up. "You know what? No; no, it's _not_ fine!" He kept his volume low, so as to not wake up Penny who was sleeping soundly in her bassinet on Tracy's side of the bed. "LeBron couldn't bring it home for Cleveland. We were so close. _So close_ , babe!" His voice wavered at the end.

It was pretty disheartening to hear the disappointment in his voice. From the moment it was announced back in July that LeBron James was returning to Cleveland, Ted had been a giant ball of joy and optimism. He knew that this year was going to be different, and the Cavs had gotten closer to winning a title than ever before. And his infectious, happy attitude was present game after game, positivity shining through with every game won and every game lost—they'd even gone to Ohio in October to catch a game in person, which was a whole other side of Ted she'd never seen before. Ted had been confident until the very end, and it seems he had finally turned bitter.

Tracy couldn't have that.

"Hey, where's the Ted I know and love who never loses hope?" she pondered gently, moving a hand to his chest, rubbing it up and down soothingly.

" _That_ doofus?" he mumbled dejectedly in the dark. "He's gotten his heart broken one too many times."

"Hey, that "doofus" is the father of my child, so be careful how you speak about him," she teased, happy to see a hint of a smile as the moonlight shone on his face. "Anyway, I've heard tell of a guy who constantly got his heart broken but still kept his spirits up despite it all."

"You're comparing love to basketball?" he asked her skeptically.

Tracy gave him a look. "For a guy who romanticizes everything, I'm surprised _you're_ not comparing love to basketball," she pointed out.

He chuckled, his mood still evidently somber but it seemed her words had struck a chord with him a little. "I guess," he admitted, looking up at Tracy. "I mean, it's been a pretty good season. I have to give LeBron and the team props for that."

"It's been a _great_ season," she agreed. "And it had to do with fans like you. The team gave your city hope—more than ever before—and you guys were there every step of the way. The Cavs were playing for _you_ _guys_. I know the loss is heartbreaking honey, but they did their best to try and bring the title home. And you need to make sure your faith in them is unwavering; the Cavs'll need your support for next season."

She knew Ted's devotion to everything (and everyone) he loved was relentless and enduring; he had never given up on his team, even when LeBron had up and left for Miami. And she knew, despite his faith being tested tonight, that Ted wasn't going to give up on them now. He was still all in.

Besides, she knew telling him how important _he_ was to the Cavaliers' success was a good ego boost, too. Ted needed that right now.

"You're right, Trace," he said, eyes wide, realization sinking in. "They _need_ me; now, more than ever! I can't let them down. They fought hard all way to the end, and they'll be a stronger and better team next season. This isn't the time to abandon them; it's time to rally and show we're behind them 100%! And who knows, maybe next year..."

"Maybe next year," she agreed, finally settling back down in bed. "The boys will bring the title home."

Ted smiled at that, a faraway and determined look in his eyes. He believed her. Maybe they'll win next year or maybe they won't, but the fact that Ted had hope now was all that mattered. Tracy pondered if this was how he used to get every time love eluded him; did he get despondent like this and full of despair, only to rise above it and see the silver lining through the clouds?

She knew him well, and knew he was one of the most determined people in the world. Nothing got him too down for too long. He was going to be okay. After all, it was only a game. (Although she would never tell him that to his face.)

"So, you feeling better, hon?" Tracy asked him now, running a hand through his hair. "Ready to go to sleep?"

"Yeah," he assured her, as he moved his head to the crook of her neck. "But I still need to wallow a bit. Can I just..."

Tracy chuckled. "C'mere," she murmured.

Ted was a cuddler when he needed consoling. So she let him, his face burying deeper into her neck, his body pressing against hers. Tracy wrapped her arms around him and let him sulk against her for a little bit. He would fall asleep soon, and come morning, he'll be his usual, happy-go-lucky self again, not letting this big loss dampen his spirits. Because that's who Ted Mosby was.

As for Tracy, well, she had a whole year to work on another compelling and comforting speech. Just in case she needed it. But she really hoped she wouldn't.

 _END_


End file.
